It all started one rainy day, when Captain Sundaram could not just walk away from two pups struggling to stay afloat on the flooded roads of T.Nagar. He took them home and that gesture marked the beginning of Blue Cross of India.

Sundaram, who was an instructor at the Madras Flying Club, was then rescuing and sheltering animals in his T.Nagar residence till Blue Cross was shifted to Adyar in 1968 and later to its present location in Velachery.

Established in 1964, to alleviate the suffering of animals, it has now grown to be one of India's largest animal welfare organisations, running active animal welfare, animal rights and humane education programmes. Members who give their expertise on a purely honorary basis look after administration and non-medical activities.

The organisation has four full-time veterinarians who attend to cases during the day. A doctor is on duty to attend to emergency cases at night. Specialists are called in whenever required.

Besides rescuing the sick and injured animals, the organisation also offers shelter and feeds them. About 400 to 500 animals are sheltered at any point of time. While cattle, dogs and cats are the main category of animals found at the shelter, birds, white mice, squirrels, horses, donkeys, deer and even monitor lizards have found temporary homes with Blue Cross.

Blue Cross has been actively involved in the Animal Birth Control Programme for street dogs. The programme is carried out through grants from Animal Welfare Board and Alice Morgan Wright Edith Goode Fund of USA.

The hospital services are totally free of charge. Only owners who bring their pets for vaccination are charged the cost of the vaccine. The first week of May is earmarked for adoption of animals, every year. Adoption is totally free, except that the adopter is required to submit some details about himself or herself to Blue Cross.

The organisation is also conducts seminars to create awareness among students and teachers regarding the food web, food chain, importance of animals and the role played by them in maintaining the ecological balance.

When the Chennai Corporation decided to discontinue the bullock-drawn conservancy carts and auction the bullocks, Blue Cross intervened and relocated them at Pinjrapoles (home for old animals) in Mysore, Bangalore and Vellore. Blue Cross has also convinced the Government to impose a ban on export of frog legs and monkeys for research.

Address: Blue Cross of India Hospital and Shelters,
# 24/2, Velachery Road, Chennai 600 032.
Phone: 235 4959